Red flags; unfortunately don’t pop up on your computer to say “Hey, you have a problem with your project!” you have to be able to recognise those yourself. So, what are some signs that you should watch out for? I am sure most project managers will have a long list of “avoid this,” “never to do that,” “when this happens, you need to…”

Here’s my list:

Red Flag: One of the tasks you planned to get done in the early stages of a project has a major hold up or was hopelessly underestimated. Maybe you came in as a contract project manager and the plans were done or not done and everyone said “Just get started, we are agile here, we don’t plan in too much detail.” This red flag needs immediate attention. Check out what went wrong; was it a one off or is this the way things are done around here? Replan, collaborate with others on the expected durations to see if they are realistic. Escalate the issue to the project sponsor.

Red Flag: the project sponsor or business owner is MIA (missing in action). They have lost interest, they don’t have time, they are not attending scheduled meetings or their emails are being forwarded to others. Find out what is going on. It may be some crisis is taking their time, or some newer, shiny project, either way you need to have certainty of continuity.

Red Flag: scope is changing rapidly. Make sure you have a change control process in place to keep pace with the requests or error. Find out if there are changes in direction or strategy that may make your project output redundant.

Red Flag: People are getting sick or not working to full capacity. Check in with the team on stress levels and workload. You will probably need to make adjustments to the schedule or get more resources to help.

Ref Flag: communication is poor between the project team members and others. This needs to be addressed early, it will not come right on its own. Find out what the causes are or the blockages and act to fix them.

What red flags have you experienced? What actions did you take?

Email me with your thoughts.

Carol@onedaytraining.co.nz